Entry-level Samsung SGH-T399Garda spotted

An upcoming entry-level device from Samsung
has been pictured, the SGH-T399 also known as
Garda. The image comes by way of evleaks , while
there is some info on specs coming by way of
GFXBench.
Judging by the image, it's heading to T-Mobile in
the US, while a specs sheet from GFXBench
reveals that you'll be getting a display of 800 x
480 pixels resolution and a 1.4 Ghz processor,
although of unspecified screen diagonal or
number of cores.
The Samsung Garda will run Android 4.2.2 Jelly
Bean out of box, and will also come with a
Mali-400 GPU. Not much else is known about the
Garda at the moment - we'll update you when we
hear more.

Nexus 5 service manual leaks, confirms most key specs

A leaked service manual of the LG-D821 a.k.a. Nexus 5 reveals most of what there is to know about the device - design, specs and even how to open it.

We already knew the most important features from various leaks, but here is the real deal. The Nexus 5 packs a 4.95" 1080p IPS display and runs on the Snapdragon 800 chipset with a quad-core 2.3GHz Krait 400 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. It has a 1.3MP front camera, an 8MP OIS camera with a LED flash at the back and a 2300mAh battery underneath the rear cover.

According to the service manual,the Nexus 5 supports GSM, 3G, CDMA and LTE connectivity plus NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. The phone also comes with a Slimport-enabled microUSB and wireless charging support. As it turns out the Nexus 5 will come in 16GB and 32GB flavors, but as was to be expected there is no option for memory expansion.

The last notable specs are the notification LED and the microSIM slot. Android 4.4 KitKat will be in charge of operations, of course.

There are a few pictures of the Nexus 5 itself in the manual and we've extracted those for you.

   
LG Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 is rumored to launch on October 30, so we are not far from its official announcement.

Samsung showcases 13MP camera module with OIS

Samsung skipped optical image stabilization (OIS) on both its high-profile phones this year (Galaxy S4 and Note 3), while competitors HTC and LG both count on that to gain an edge. Samsung is working on an OIS-enabled camera though, the company demonstrated a 13MP camera module with OIS and improved low-light performance compared to current models.

The new module can correct up to 1.5°, while HTC One's camera tops out at 1°. Samsung also says that the camera's low-light performance for shots and videos is up to 8 times better than current cameras, though it didn’t go into details how that was achieved (OIS probably helped).

The camera module measures 10.5 x 10.5 x 5.9mm and will feature reduced power consumption. Samsung will be showcasing a prototype at the Kintex Exhibition Center starting today. The module will go in production early next year.

While Samsung's press release doesn’t mention models by name, it's quite likely that next year we'll be seeing the Galaxy S5 and Note 4 with OIS-enabled cameras. Samsung allegedly tried to do it with the Note 3 (but we got 2160p video instead) and is working on a 16MP OIS camera too.

A couple of new Xperia Z1 mini photos surface

More than a week ago, a leaked promo brochure from Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo confirmed the existence of the Sony Xperia Z1 mini (also known as Xperia Z1 f). Today, a couple of new photos of the Z1 mini from the same brochure have surfaced.

According to the brochure, the Xperia Z1 f will share a lot with its bigger brother, the Xperia Z1. It'll feature the same Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and Adreno 330 GPU as well as the 32GB of internal storage. The new leak also confirms the phone will pack a microSD card slot.

The difference comes from the display. Since the Xperia Z1 f is a smaller version of the Xperia Z1, it rocks a smaller screen - 4.3" 720p vs 5" 1080p. The battery is also not as large in capacity - 2,300 mAh vs 3,000 mAh. Fitting all those parts into a smaller enclosure meant that Sony had to make the Z1 f a bit thicker, but at 9.4 mm vs 8.5 mm for the Xperia Z1, the difference isn't so striking.

The brochure also confirms the Xperia Z1 f will be available in four colors - black ,white, red and yellow. It's yet unconfirmed whether those versions will be exclusive to NTT DoCoMo or will make it outside Japan.

The Japanese carrier is set to announce its winter smartphone lineup on October 10. Then, NTT DoCoMo is likely to unveil more information regarding the Xperia Z1 f. We'll keep you posted if any new information pops up.

LG flexible OLED smartphone display enters mass production

LG's curved display production plans are coming along nicely, as the company has officially announced today that its first flexible OLED panel for smartphones has entered mass production.

The company expects a rapid success of the flexible smartphone displays saying that other products are also going to benefit from the new technology. Such candidates include tablets, automotive displays and wearable devices.

The flexible OLED display in question is 0.44mm thin making it the slimmest among existing mobile device panels, according to LG. Furthermore, the display itself is built using plastic substrates instead of glass. This makes it virtually unbreakable, while remaining quite bendable.

We're yet to see the company announce any smartphones with said flexible OLED display. There are rumors that Korean giants Samsung and LG will unveil curved OLED smartphones in October, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

LG's device has been rumored to debut the company's Z series and the company appears to be in a furious race with Samsung to unveil such a smartphone.

Diagrams, specs of the Galaxy S4 Active with Snapdragon 800 leak

A couple of months ago a Snapdragon 800 version of the Galaxy S4 Active appeared in benchmark scores but it has been keeping quiet since. Leaked docs that show diagrams of the phone break that silence and show a phone very much like the current one.

It will have the same dimensions, same 5" 1080p LCD display with hardware buttons underneath, IP67 certification (water resistant and dust tight) and 2,600mAh battery. The only difference seems to be the chipset – Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 instead of 600 – and the LTE-Advanced connectivity that it enables.

The rumors point to South Korean availability on SKT under the model number SHV-E470S. The Galaxy S4 LTE-A is yet to become available worldwide, so there's a chance the Galaxy S4 Active LTE-A will be South Korean-only too.

SoftBank announces Sharp Aquos Xx and Aquous Xx mini

The Japanese carrier SoftBank has just announced the Sharp Aquos Xx 302SH and Sharp Aquos Xx mini 303SH. The duo is joining the recently unveiled Fujitsu Arrows A as part of the carrier's winter lineup.

Both Sharp smartphones are LTE-enabled and run on the latest Snapdragon 800 chipset (quad-core 2.2GHz Krait 400, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM). Also, both Aquos Xx gadgets feature 1080p IGZO displays and run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The connectivity departments of both Aquos Xx phones are identical too - LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, GPS and Infrared port. Quite as expected Aquos Xx and Aquos Xx mini are water and dustproof.

The bigger Aquos Xx 302SH comes with a 5.2" display, 32GB of expandable internal storage, 16.3MP rear camera and a 2,600mAh battery. The phone will be available in blue, white, black and pink flavors.

The smaller Aquos Xx mini 303SH features a 4.5" screen, 16GB expandable storage, 13.1MP rear camera and a 2,120mAh battery. It will hit the market in turquoise, black, white, red, blue, gold, light pink and vivid pink colors.

There are no official prices just yet, but the previously announced Fujitsu Arrows A and the 5.2" Sharp Aquos Xx will hit Japan in December, while the Aquos Xx mini will launch in February.

Samsung Galaxy J for Japanese market leaks out

The Sony Xperia Z1 mini isn’t the only drool-worthy, Japan-only smartphone we ran into today. Samsung Galaxy J is yet another top-shelf Android handset bound for NTT DoCoMo as part of the carrier’s winter lineup.

Samsung Galaxy J dressed in pink (click to enlarge)

The alleged specs of the Samsung Galaxy J are a mixture of Galaxy S4 and Note 3 internals. The handset reportedly features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and 5” 1080p display. The Galaxy J will be available in three different color schemes Coral Pink, Satin White, and Lapis Blue.

The Samsung Galaxy J is more than likely to make an official appearance on October 10.